Fight for the Right to the Opera
by The infamous hogwarts jaguar00
Summary: Sorry, it really has no name, but this is a Ben/ Lucy fic but Eleanor is the main character. Heavily influenced! Short, multichapter. Some Ben/ Eleanor. Rated T for themes I guess. xD
1. Chapter 1

**If you don't know what this is based on, you've been living under a rock xD Happy reading! Oh! And I'm hoping for all of this to be pretty much historically accurate, 'The Fight' in this is the old price riots that took place in London on 1806ish I believe!**

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Ben looked around the square, feeling disgusted. He and Tommo had left only two years ago to do some travelling and London had been fine, but now... beggars, prostitutes, urchins, dirt and other unspeakable items were littered everywhere. He shuddered when he nearly stood in a pile of, what he could only assume, was blood. It looked old, and smelled vile. He wrinkled his nose and moved further into the centre of the market square, ignoring the women that threw themselves at him; despite it only being early morning.

He knew why, of course. The local theatre had burnt down and all the actors and workers could no longer work; they had been reduced to this. The new theatre was far too expensive for anyone other than the rich. The poor weren't allowed to work there anymore. It upset him, he had to do something: he had to bring London back.

"Where are the leaders of the land?" Tommo suddenly shouted out, Ben by his side. Everyone stopped and looked to him, recognising him as a rich student boy, someone who could help.

"Only one man, it's Turpin! He speaks for us down below!" a voice hollered out and Ben winced, not wanting to say it, but he knew he had to.

"He's sick, fading fast. He won't last the week, so they say." not a sound could be heard after Ben spoke, until noisy footsteps and loud voices shattered the silence and a little boy spoke.

"Watch out for old Smith!" Everyone scarpered to the sides of the square, forgetting about Ben and Tommo. Obviously the Smiths weren't the best people to get on the wrong side of.

Ben walked over to the Smiths, leaving Tommo to speak with the beggars. He heard Mrs. Smith mumbling about "bloody students" and how "Nell would kiss their feet". Ben ignored them and went straight to Eleanor, smiling.

"Hey, Eleanor, what's up? I feel like I've not seen you for years!" he exclaimed and she turned, her eyes widening and her face lit up.

"Ben! Is that really you? How long has it been? I've missed you! What are you doing now?" she asked, all too quickly, but he managed to keep up. They had been close friends when they were younger and they had explored London together, playing pirates. Sword fighting and looking for treasure, but he had left because he needed to see the world. He had left her alone.

"Well, I'm finished with my travelling, but I'm surprised at how ugly London has become. Tommo and I are going to fix it, make it better again." he said, with a smirk, but Eleanor seemed to miss the last part; she was staring at the books in his hand.

"What are they for?" Ben raised an eyebrow, she saw and slapped his arm. "You know, I could have been a been a student too! Never judge a girl by the way they look, I know a lot of things I do!" she said indignantly but Ben just laughed, patting her head.

"Oh poor Nell, the things that you know... well you wouldn't find in books like these." she felt stupid now, but she refused to show it, distracting him by tugging on his, now shoulder length, hair.

"I like the way you grow your hair, Miss." she said teasingly, with a small bow, but Ben just pushed her off, laughing as well.

"I like the way you always tease!" he said, patting her arm and turning to say a quick word to a passing urchin.

"Little he knows, little he sees..." she said quietly, gazing at him. He looked back up at her when her mother began to speak.

"Look! 'Ere he is! Stay on the job, an' watch ou' fur the law." she said sharply and Eleanor nodded, quickly walking towards the old man who had just entered the square. It was her job to distract him whilst her father took what he needed. Ben followed her, wanting to know what was going on. She heard his footsteps behind her and she spun around.

"Stay out of this." she said quickly, before continuing.

"But Nell-" he started, but she stopped him.

"You'll get into trouble, besides, it's none of your concern. Leave, you'll be in the clear." Eleanor pushed him away. He tried to change tacktic by asking innocently,

"Who is that man?" but again she pushed him away, moving a bit faster.

"Leave me alone!" she shouted.

"But why is here here? Eleanor!" he tried to follow her, but he bumped into someone.

Eleanor spun around when she didn't hear him behind her. Her heart stopped and her breath was caught in her throat. She was going to faint. Ben had bumped into Lucy. She knew it was too late, the look on their faces said it all... it was the look she always had when she spoke of, or to, Ben. It was the look her mother and father used to give her, and each other a long time ago. It was the look that she saw on the lucky newly weds outside the big Chapel. It was love. Time froze when the two of them looked at each other, both of them oblivious to Eleanor's breaking heart.

After what felt like forever, Ben said softly, "I didn't see you there, please, forgive me."

Eleanor backed away from the two into a dark alley. She didn't care about the old man anymore, she didn't care about anything. She wanted to die. She wanted to curl up and never be moved. She didn't know what this feeling was. It was like someone had cut open her chest and pulled her heart out and left her there to die. She heard her father shouting, but she didn't care, she ignored it. It was only when she heard the policeman's steps that she managed to come back to reality, calling into the square.

"It's the Beadle, disappear, run for it, it's Bamford!" she called out, her voice far stronger than she had expected, and everyone scarpered, leaving Ben to push past her when the Beadle told them all to leave.

Eleanor pressed herself to the wall so he didn't see her, nor did he notice, when he ran through the puddle, that it splashed all over her. She stayed hidden in the shadows as the Beadle surveyed the square, muttering about the scum that had just been there. Lucy and her 'father' came past too, shortly after Ben had left, both of them muttering.

"Nell, get over 'ere. We're leavin' now. Old fox got away, we'll get 'im though." she was pulled from the wall by her father's rough hands and he half dragged her back to their home. He had sounded far too smug when he been speaking, she didn't like it when he used that tone. It meant she would have a job, but she didn't bother to fight against him; what would be the point? Ben had found Lucy, he would never want her, a poor girl.

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**What do you think? Yes it is based on Les Miserables, which I am seeing soon! I'm so happy! It is obviously based on the musical and not the book, as I haven't read it yet. xD review!**


	2. Chapter 2

When they got back to their shack, Eleanor moved over to her...hay and sank into it, pulling her woollen cap over her eyes and blocking out the sights around her. Her father had left and gone to one of the bars to plan when they would rob and attack that man who had 'borrowed' Lucy and her mother was clattering about in the kitchen area, muttering about something or other; and until she had to, Eleanor had no plan to move.

In all honesty though, Eleanor didn't care. She didn't care about anything. She wanted to fall asleep and never wake. And she certainly didn't care about the blonde princess any more. Sure, she had been fun to taunt as a child, but she was grown up now. Lucy would only be a pain if she was still stuck with them.

Eleanor sighed out loud, earning her a vicious stare from her mother, but she didn't see it. Oh who was she trying to kid? Of course she cared about Lucy, if Lucy had stayed, Eleanor would have had a simpler life, less work and a comfy bed. She would have had Ben too, she would be the pretty one, the rich one, the one with the beautiful dresses, her parents might even have sent her to school just to mock Lucy! But that hadn't happened, and it never will.

Eleanor must have had a dreamy smile on her face, for she heard her mother say "wo's a' smirk fur? Gerrup off yer arse and 'elp ou'' It was only then that she stood. She was so sick of everything, sick of being bossed about and sick of being under appreciated. Eleanor stood and headed for the door.

"Where ya off to? You ain't go' no one, I jus' asked ya t' do summit! And it's dark!" her mother cackled and Eleanor ignored her, making sure to grab her coat. "If yer leavin', make sure ya don't come back empty handed, an' if ya see yer father, bring 'im 'ome. He's go' jobs to do!" but Eleanor left, not listening.

She began to walk the streets of London, slowly and quietly. She had no where to be, nothing to do and she certainly had no one to meet. She felt free, and happy to be away from her mother. But she missed him, yet she couldn't think of him. Every thought of him had_ **her**_ in it and she didn't want that in her head. She kept her eyes to floor, kicking each small stone she came across, scuffing her tatty boots even more.

"Oi! Watch i'! Ya migh' be a tar' lookin' fur some, bu' jus' 'cause ya ain't go' i' don' mean ya have ta sabotage mine!" a whore shouted her when the stone Eleanor had just kicked hit her, but Eleanor didn't care. She gave the whore and the man a withering glare before she trudged on, pitying how low the whore must have come.

She walked for a while, trying to think of everything- anything to stop her thinking about Ben and the way he had looked at Lucy, but she got no where. She stopped and raised her head, trying to see a God, a sign, anything to say that this would get better. The pain of losing him would lessen; but she saw nothing. Only the moon looked down and it seemed so bright and big, almost as though it were mocking her loneliness. She scowled at it and pulled her hat lower and her jacket tighter around her body as she tried to block out the icy wind.

Because she had had her head down for the majority of her walking, she realised she had no idea where she was, but after a moment of panic, she shrugged her shoulders and continued. She'd come to a bar she recognised eventually; she'd lived in London forever and knew all of its secrets.

And so Eleanor continued to walk the dark streets and it was only when a bar door flew open and a flock of men barged out did Eleanor look up and pay attention to her surroundings.

"TO TEMPLE!" she heard called out, but she shook her head and looked up to see this as the bar Ben drank at- well the bar he used to drink at when he lived here before, in their other life...

Eleanor entered, feeling weary even though she had only been walking for half an hour or so. She glanced around looking for him, but she didn't see him. She sank into a bar stool in the darker corner so none of the men would stare at her, she knew she wasn't dressed well enough to be in this bar.

"Gin." she said softly when a barman approached cautiously, and she dropped a few pennies on the counter, proving she wasn't going to steal her drink, despite the fact she had taken those pennies from an open pocket when she entered the building. He grabbed the money greedily and dropped the glass in front of her. Eleanor drank it quickly and ignored the burn. She was so desperate to forget.

"-please? You know you want to! Besides, we need all the help we can get!" Ben said loudly, over the ruckus the bar was making, but the tall man shook his head.

"Sorry son, but I've got a wife and kids, I'm not joining in with your school fights." he turned and left Ben alone with another Gin. He swallowed it in one and looked around, hoping to see someone, anyone, to recruit. Tommo had left a few moments ago with the men that they had managed to get to join in their fight tomorrow.

He looked around slowly, there must be someone- and then he saw her. His face broke into a grin and he dropped some change on the counter before rushing off to her side.

"Nell! What are you doing here?" he asked happily, not noticing the broken look on her face. She had been looking for him, yes. And she had wanted to find him, but now that she had, she had no idea what to say.

"N-nothing." she stammered, but he ignored her.

"Listen, you've been here whilst I've been away right?" he didn't wait for an answer. "Well, I was hoping you could show me where that girl lives? I didn't catch her name before she left, or her address, although I think she said 'Old Bailey' but I can't be sure, and I have no idea where that is anyway, we never explored there. Please, will you help me?" he asked her quickly and she just sat there staring at his face.

How did he not remember? They had always played at the Old Bailey when they were pretending to be Lord and Lady, when they pretended to rule the world, when they pretended they were married. Sure, they had called it 'the rich street' and never really paid attention to its proper name, but Ben was the smart one, surely he would know!

She wanted to say no. She wanted to pour the rest of her drink on his head and storm off, but what would she achieve? She would only lose him more, at least if she took him to her, he may realise what an awful person Lucy really is.

"Fine." she whispered quietly, standing up and leaving the bar with Ben at her heels.


End file.
